The present invention relates to excavating apparatus and particularly to an impact rock-breaking apparatus for mounting on an excavator or backhoe.
When undertaking excavating work such as with backhoes or excavators, it is frequently necessary to carry out distinct phases of the operation requiring different tools. For example, when excavating with a backhoe or excavator one may encounter hard rock formations or concrete which requires breaking up before it can be removed. Such situations may require that a jackhammer or similar tool be moved to break up the rock or concrete in order that it may be removed from the excavation. Frequently, however the rock or concrete cannot be reached by or is inaccessible to a jackhammer.
Rock-breaking tools for mounting on the end of the boom or stick of an excavator or backhoe are known. Such tools, however, generally require that the bucket be removed in order that the rock-breaking tools can be attached to the stick of the excavator. This approach is extremely time-consuming and expensive.
Another approach to this problem has been providing the excavator bucket with vibrating teeth for breaking the rock or concrete. The major problem with this approach is that such apparatus is generally incapable of developing sufficient force to efficiently break concrete and other hard rock-materials.
Another approach to this problem is such as disclosed in British specification 1,172,537 published Dec. 3, 1969. That specification discloses an arrangement having two separate booms and an arrangement wherein a bucket and a rock-breaking device are both mounted on the same arm of an excavator. The bucket is slidably mounted on the arm to swing or slide into and out of operative position. The problem with this arrangement is that it requires complicated and expensive apparatus and the bucket suffers in strength and durability.